Alessandra Di Gennaro & Romuald Mesdagh

Artefact Mosaic

Mosaic maker

©Artefact Mosaic Studio

Bringing history up to date

Alessandra and Romuald are both mosaic graduates
They are embedded in Venice’s mosaicist tradition
Their work is done entirely by hand

Alessandra di Gennaro (born in Rome) and Romuald Mesdagh (born in Belgium) met at the Mosaicists school of Friuli, the only school in the world that offers students the possibility to pursue the title of Master Mosaicist. The school welcomes 80 students from all over the world and lasts three years; both Di Gennaro and Mesdagh describe it as the pivotal moment in their education and in their career, a period in which they were allowed to experiment and explore different paths, provided with the material (which is extremely expensive) and trained to work collaboratively in groups. All the innovations to the mosaicists' techniques have evolved within this school, mostly since the 1990s: it is easy for them to detect who has attended the Mosaicists school and who is self-taught.

Interview

©Artefact Mosaic Studio

©Artefact Mosaic Studio

How would you define what you do?: We are Master Artisans. We have mastered a technique and apply it according to the client’s requirements. We dislike being defined as artists: anyone can call himself an artist, whereas being a Master Artisan is something very specific that proves your skills and dedication to the craft.
How is your craft linked to the territory?: There are 8,600sqm of mosaics in the Basilica di San Marco alone. There are only three manufacturers in the world who produce the glass used for mosaics, two of which are based in Venice. Working here we are immersed in the history of mosaics, and also able to choose the materials directly from the furnaces.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: Doing things well doesn’t mean revolutionising the ancient language of mosaics, it is more a matter of understanding it properly. History provides us with all the inspiration we need, then it’s just a matter of choosing the right materials and the right shapes of the tiles to create a modern twist.
Is there something about your work that people don’t know?: It takes really a lot of time to create mosaics. When you are working on a floor it can take a full day to make 1sqm. The tools are still very simple, the tiles are cut manually, there is no technology that can speed up the process. When we have big commissions, we hire up to 15 people to help.

Alessandra Di Gennaro & Romuald Mesdagh are master artisans: they began their career in 2009